Miss Carson surveyed the class as she made her entrance. Most of the kids, she was pleased to notice, were standing to attention and joining in the chorus of, “Good morning, Miss Carson.” Mandy and Martin were the only ones seated. Miss Carson’s response was followed by a scraping of chairs as the kids sat down.
“Mandy, why didn’t you stand up like everyone else?”
“My attention was diverted at that moment, Miss, so I failed to notice when you entered,” said Mandy.
“Make sure you pay attention in future, Mandy,” said Miss Carson. “Martin, why didn’t you stand up?”
Martin looked down at his desk, his lips firmly closed, his red cheeks clearly showing complicity in something or other.
“Martin, you’d better stay for a detention after school.”
Martin contemplated the unfairness of school. Miss Carson couldn’t know what happened before she came in and Martin couldn’t tell her – not in front of the whole class. Mandy, with the help of a few others, had tied Martin to his chair so that he couldn’t stand up. Mandy hadn’t stood up as she’d hurriedly untied the string after Miss Carson entered. Martin hadn’t wanted to be branded a tell-tale on top of everything else. Mandy had been counting on that.
Links to previous A-Z stories:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
The next story will appear on Sunday.
Miriam Drori, Author 